Oh,what a lovely day
by nightmaregirl
Summary: A young girl moves to Gotham with her parents,next thing she knows her parents are killed before her eyes,then she gets beat up,and is thrown in a dumpster,but soon she will meet the Mad Hatter who takes her in.
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: The Mad Hatter/Jervis Tetch, Batman, and all other Batman- related criteria are the property of DC Comics and Warner Bros. Catherine is the property of me, the author Terri. J. Any use of her is strictly prohibited unless given my authorization to use them.  
  
Author's Note: This is my second fanfic, the other story did not turn out so well, so hopefully this one will. To make it so I am going to write one chapter at a time, and try to take it slow so I don't mess up on any of the character's :),please send me your comments, whatever they may be. It will help me alot, and keep me writing. This story involves a young 16 year old girl who moves to Gotham with her parents, her father found a good job and the rent there is cheap. The girls happy time there, who's name is Catherine, is short- lived for her. While walking from the city park they come upon gang members who see Catherine, and her parents as trespassers. The gang grabs the parents, beating them almost to death, and then slicing their skin off in front of Catherine, as she tries to grab for her parents the gang members brutally beat her, then leave her for dead taking whatever money the parents had. Catherine a few hours later walks through parts of Gotham in a daze, almost dead until she walks into the Mad Hatters territory, where he finds her and restores her health, and tries to bring her back to reality. Yes I know, your asking how can the Mad Hatter bring her back to reality when he's crazy himself?. Well I just mean he brings her out of her staring for long periods at a time ;). So I hope you enjoy it.  
  
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Chapter 1  
  
Oh, what a lovely day. Catherine looks out the window from her new apartment in gotham, this city was so huge she wondered how she would ever fit in, plus it was crime valley. She wondered why her parents moved here, well she knew why they moved here. It was for the job and cheap rent, but why couldn't they have moved somewhere else? Any place would be better then here. Sighing she walks back to her bed, sitting down, closing her eyes as she tries resting. She hears her parents moving things down below.  
  
"Catherine!" screams her mother from downstairs, Catherine opens her cobalt blue eyes, she was tired, but her mother did need her downstairs. She pushes herself up, her small pale feet touching the soft carpet, she had this strange fascination with soft carpet. " Coming mother!" she screams back as she runs downstairs, almost knocking over her father who shakes his head laughing. "Always the wild one huh?" he winks as he messes up her hair. She grins, and shyly bats her eyelashes being the oh so innocent one. "Oh Father, how dare you accuse me of such a thing, my, my, my. I am an angel" Catherine replies grinning. Hearing her father laugh, she walks over to her mother.  
  
"Oh good there you are, just wanted to give you your books. I am surprised you left them with me" says her mother, handing the box of books to Catherine. "Thanks mom" she takes the books and runs back upstairs, always the wild one it seemed, but she was really a quiet one, she never got along with anyone in school, always reading her books. Sitting down on her bed she look's through her books, reading each title.  
  
"Hannibal"  
  
"Silence of the lambs"  
  
"Red Dragon"  
  
"Secret Garden" " Alice in Wonderland"  
  
"Placing curses on annoying people" she blinks a little as she looks at this book, then shrugs putting it up on her book shelf. "I was wondering why our moving guy was scared of me" she picks up one very special book or more or less a graphic novel titled. "Journey to sorrows end" it was an elfquest novel by the creators Wendy and Richard Pini. She adored the stories, her one friend back home Kristen was into them as well, they would read them for hours, but now she was here.  
  
"Well up you go, I wonder how well I will do here", Catherine says with a hint of sadness to her tone as she places the novel on her book shelf. She throws the box away, then lies down on her bed trying to think of the good side of everything, this was a new beginning for her after all. Why be so gloom? Closing her blue eyes, and letting her long blonde hair out of its ponytail she falls asleep, awaiting her new day, but if she only knew what was going to happen she would never wake.  
***************  
  
Catherine and her parents are walking from the Gotham Park, deciding to have a picnic they stayed there for a couple hours, enjoying themselves. Catherine had fun, though she spent most of her time reading Elfquest under a tree. "Well that was nice, we should do it more often", says Catherine's mom as they walk down the street. The father nods, though he seems tired. Catherine's mom and dad continue talking about the father's new job, while Catherine looks ahead. Dressed in a pair of jeans, with a black cotton tee, her long blonde hair up in its usual ponytail, it was very unusual to see Catherine wearing her hair down.  
  
"Patrick, are you sure we are going the right way?. Those men over there don't look to friendly" says the mom looking toward a group of men in dirty looking clothes, but with weapons in their hands. One of them turns around, he's dressed in jeans and a white tank top, he glares at the people approaching, not liking others in his territory. Catherine watches the man's features and knows what real fear is, clutching her father's arm. "Dad we better get out of here, its not safe." she replies in stern tone. Her blue eyes turning a shade darker.  
  
"Yes your right, lets turn back. I can use the cell to call." Patrick's eyes widen as he see's a fist out of nowhere slam into his face, making him fall backwards, Catherine is not far behind as she feels the cement ground underneath her. Looking up she see's another man approach her mother, grabbing the woman by the hair.  
  
"Always did like beating up bitches!" he slams Catherine's mom against a wall close by, and with his other hand he punches her in the stomach, hard. Catherine see's all this and starts feeling rage inside herself. Crawling over toward her father she shakes him.  
  
"Wake up dad, please. Mom needs you, dad?" Catherine screams in pain as she feels a boot connect with her stomach, sending her backwards. Closing her eyes she feels real pain, and throws up, atleast it wasn't blood. Lifting her face up, while her hand clutches her stomach she see's her parents being put through tortue, blood was everywhere. So much blood. A gang member brings out a knife and starts cutting off the mothers fingers, laughing as they fall off.  
  
"No!" Catherine feels her throat tighten as she feels tears rushing to her eyes, she wanted to scream but it was so painful. She manages to stand up, and walks towards her parents, wishing this was a dream. Catherine's mom screams in pain as bloody fingers fall to the ground, in less then thirty minutes Catherine experiences a full horror movie in all its glory, her parents were practically cut apart piece by piece, and all she could do was cry, feeling so alone and weak.  
  
"Now what do we have here men, a little woman?" a gang member grins walking toward Catherine, she feels her fears rise even higher as she tries to run, but to no avail for out of nowhere a foot kicks her back in place, on the cold cement ground. In a matter of seconds she's beat black and blue, as she lies there she wishes for death, she invite's death. The only comfort is the cold cement ground, then only blackness, cold eternal blackness....  
  
*************** Catherine's blue eyes open, her face almost matching the color of her eyes. She feels the pain all through her body, and knows she can't be dead, so why did they let her live. Looking around the area she finds herself in a dumpster? Opening her lips she lets out a piercing scream, a scream that was kept hidden when she could not scream, but she could now, but was her body broken, could she even move?  
  
"There's...only one way to find out" she presses against her hands as she pushes herself up, finding her balance. She takes her chances and tries to stand up, but as she does her legs tremble, and she finds herself falling back into the trash.  
  
"Damn!" she hisses. Crawling on all four she moves around in the trash, feeling pretty lousy right about now, but she manages to crawl out of the dumpster, and into some grass?. "They must of took me far, ouch!" she grinds her teeth together as her hands grab for her left arm, which is bleeding and has a few gashes here and there. " Oh well isn't that nice, I only have a few abrasions here and there", Catherine says with sarcasmn as she limps through the grass, feeling the pain course through her body. She feels her mind snap as she see's flashes of memory, her parents being killed in a terrible way. "Why...why didn't they kill me?" she chews on her bottom lip, tasting blood on her lips. " There's plenty of tea to go around!" Catherine hears a voice close by, hearing the word tea she thinks of water, how long has it been since she has drunk water? She didn't know, but she really was thirsty. Walking toward the voice she stumbles half the way there, feeling the pain in her legs increase. Then out of nowhere, which seems to be happening alot to her, a man's hand grabs her body and pulls her into what seems like a big bear hug, and walks with her to the middle of a garden like area, where a table is, with a strange looking man in a tall hat.  
  
"Ah,Tweedle De, what have we got here?", the man replies, lowering his cup of tea. The man is about 5 feet, maybe smaller, maybe taller. Catherine wasn't sure, she just knew he looked like the Mad Hatter from "Alice in Wonderland". She feels the pain increase as Tweedle De holds her. "A lady walked in here sir, she is a bit sticky", he lets go of her, allowing her to fall to the ground and land on her butt. Making a face Catherine glares at Tweedle De, but lowers her face as she feels another pain course through her. The Mad Hatter notices this, and stands up from his chair, walking toward her. He bends down, his fingers touching her face as he stares into her blue eyes, his own blue eyes showing compassion.  
  
"I think I feel" says Catherine as she feels more pain, she clenches her teeth, making an angry face. The Mad Hatter leans forward, whispering in her ear, the only comfort he knew at this moment.  
  
"nO roOM, nO roOM!"  
  
"But there's plenty of room!", Catherine replies, then realizes she is quoting "Alice in wonderland", and wonders. Has she gone crazy? though before she can ponder this she faints. 


	2. Chapter 2

Who knows really how much time had passed since young Catherine had been brought into the park where The criminal known as The Mad Hatter spent most of his time, but by the time she opened her blue eyes and blinked a few times to get her vision back she realized her body was not covered in blood anymore, and that she felt better.

Perhaps she had died after she passed out?

"I see you are better now dear girl", spoke a soft, but crazy sounding, voice close to her.

Catherine slowly turned her head toward the voice and found herself looking into the face of a man with teeth larger then most human beings, and a large nose. He also had psychotic looking blue eyes that stared deeply into her face, and despite his soft words earlier, Catherine couldn't help but feel a shiver move through her body.

"Can't you speak...................?", he said slowly, but with an added emphasis on the word speak.

She coughed a few times as she tried to find her voice, and immediately a glass of tea was placed in front of her mouth. She blinked in surprise, but wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth, and took the drink that was offered to her with great interest. The tea was good, and helped with her dry throat. Once her throat was no longer dry she smiled up at the strange looking man with the top hat.

Why in the world was he dressed like The Mad Hatter from Alice in Wonderland? Perhaps she had entered a theater production?

"Thank you sir, and yes I am feeling better. Who made me better?", she asked the man she knew only as The Mad Hatter. He seemed to ponder her question before he answered, and when he did answer he tilted his head a little, and somehow his hat never moved, but stayed exactly where it was.

"Why I did of course, but do not worry dear lady. I didn't do anything improper to you!", he started laughing a little, and patted her hand as though he was reassuring her that nothing bad had happened. "But you do indeed look better, and you look like the perfect tea guest!", he said with a large smile, and with his big teeth this man could truly give you a large smile. He reached out with his gloved hand and moved his fingers through Catherine's blond hair as a look moved across his face. Like he was deciding something.

"Yes, the perfect guest.....perhaps you could be called Alice"

Catherine scrunched her eyes together a little, and shivered some as she felt the man's fingers moving through her hair. Her body responded to his touch in a way that suggested she enjoyed having someone's hand moving through her hair. She always did like a caress or touch through her hair, but she didn't want the man to get the wrong idea, and so she forced herself to sit up.

"My name is Catherine by the way. May I have your name?"

He smiled at her and bowed deeply in front of her like a gentleman would. "I am known as The Mad Hatter my dear, but you may call me Jervis Tetch, but only in private", he spoke the last part in a whisper close to Catherine, and suddenly a terrifying look crossed his already creepy face.

"Understand, Catherine?", he told her with a raise of his eyebrow.

"Y..Yes...I understand", she said the words quickly, and breathed deeply as she thought about his warning. He obviously didn't want anyone to know his name, except his known name, but why tell her? She took his offered hand and followed him to the tea table. Catherine's eyes looked down at her body and she realized she was wearing a blue dress with a white apron covering the front of her body, and stocking covered her legs, and nice blue shoes were on her feet.

"I am dressed just like Alice from Wonderland! Why?", she asked suddenly as she was led to a chair, and was properly seated by the Mad Hatter. He didn't say anything until he sat right beside her, at the head of the table. Then his blue eyes turned to her, and he grinned wide.

"Because my dear you are My Alice now!"


End file.
